Pietro’s Fight bumps, crashes and smashes DMD

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream – and good old fashioned rides on a rollercoaster.

Kids were treated to a fun-filled afternoon at Adventurer’s Family Entertainment Center – and a truckload of free ice cream courtesy of Pepsi and Mr. Softee – at Pietro’s Fight’s third annual children’s event, “Bump, Crash and Smash DMD,” held on Friday, June 5.

“It was excellent; we had a huge turnout of close to 400 kids,” lauded Dayna Scarso, co-founder of Pietro’s Fight and loving mother of five-year-old Pietro Joseph Scarso, a bright-eyed boy fighting the good fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) – a recessive X-chromosome-linked form of muscular dystrophy, affecting around one in 3,600 boys.

Scarso was quick to thank the afternoon’s sponsors, as well as all those who have continually come together in support of her son.

“As usual, we can never do what we do without our sponsors,” she said, also thanking key political figures like State Senator Marty Golden for their hand in finding a cure for Pietro. “Everyone comes year after year and it really is such an amazing support system. I’m always blown away at the participation from the community and everyone around us.”

On top of a successful day, Scarso said, Pietro is starting to see success in his fight.

“We’ve had some good news with the FDA,” she said stressing that, for the first time, the Food and Drug Administration has announced that it no longer needs to see more data in the study of a potentially life-saving treatment and that the researchers should move forward with a new drug application. “They’ve also opened a new trial for younger boys ages four to six which Pietro is eligible for and has already started pre-screening for. We’re really excited and hopeful that he will get in.”

This year’s sponsors included Bay Ridge Honda and the Sabbagh Family, Lewis Salgado Consultants LLC, Pearly Whites, Dana Ford, Dr. Teddy Neamonitis of Millennium Physical Therapy, and Stepping Stones Nursery School, among others.

For more information on Pietro’s Fight, visit www.pietrosfight.org.

“I can’t say thank you enough,” said Scarso.